Duty
by aenysa
Summary: AU. Tsuna would just like to learn what 'duty' means, thank you very much.


_**Duty**_

The Sky has always been curious – his tutor, the unfathomable Space itself, snorts and tells him he's an idiot.

Well, he's not too surprised by that.

He chances upon the Sun in his travels of his far-reaching kingdom. He asks him, _Why__ do__ you __shine__ so __brightly, __day __after __day?__ Even__ when__ the __people__ are __begging __you__ to__ stop?_

The Sun smiles at him and it is blinding. He replies, _It __is __my__ EXTREME__ duty __to __do __so._

The Sky is very much confused by this. _Duty?__ What __is__ this__ '__duty__' __you__ speak __of?_

_Duty? __I__ am __EXTREMELY__ not __sure.__ You __will__ have __to __ask__ someone__ else,_ the Sun replies and runs off to kill off a few more towns.

The Sky continues on his journey, his tutor on top of him and scolding him, laughing all the while. _You __know __what__ duty __is_, he says, _you__ just __haven__'__t__ realized__ it._

He walks and runs and glides until he finds the Storm. He watches as the Storm rages upon the kingdom below his, and he questions, _Why __do__ you __do__ such __a__ thing, __when__ the__ people__ of__ the__ Earth__ have__ done__ nothing__ to __you?_

The Storm pauses in his attacks and turns to him. _They __are __the__ enemies_, the Storm says blandly. _I__ must__ defeat__ them__ all._

_Why?_ The Sky asks. _Why __must __you__ defeat __them__ all?_

_There__ is__ no __reason,_ he replies scornfully. _They __are__ the __enemies,__ and__ that__ is__ all __I__ need __to __know._

The Sky is saddened by this, even if he doesn't realize why. _Tell __me,__then.__Is __that__ your __duty?_

_Yes,_the Storm replies. _It is my duty – and will be so until the next generation is ready to take over._

The Storm takes his leave then and the Sky continuing on, meeting a spot of continuous Rain.

_Hello,_ the Sky says carefully. _What __are __you__ doing?_

_Hello,_ the Rain greets back cheerfully and the Sky lets out a sigh of relief. _I am washing away everything._

_You __don__'__t__ seem __better__ than __the __Sun_, the Sky remarks. _You are washing away too much – you should tone it down a bit._

The Rain shakes his head, but his smile never drops.

_I__ can__'__t,_ the Rain says, _it__ is __my __duty._

_Tell__ me,__ then,_ the Sky says almost angrily. _What__ is__ '__duty__'__?_

_It__ depends,_ the Rain replies vaguely and walks off, flooding another town.

The Cloud suddenly materializes next to the Sky and he jumps in surprise and backs away slowly, knowing of his reputation.

_You__ help __the __Rain, __do __you __not?_ The Sky looks at him in question and the Cloud glares.

_He __brings __with __him __rain__clouds,_ the Cloud says in disgust. _They__ are__ weaklings,__ for __traveling __in __groups.__ I__ am__ the__ Cloud__ – __drifting __alone,__ needing __no __one._

The Sky watches him sadly. _Does __it__ get__ lonely?_ he asks, wondering if the Cloud will murder him for asking.

Surprisingly enough, he is not killed on the spot.

…_No._

There is a silence and the Sky hurries on to another question.

_What is your duty, then?_

The Cloud looks at him in almost-surprise and smirks. _I __protect__ from__ a__ distance._

_What is duty?_

The Cloud raises an eyebrow and the Sky flushes in embarrassment. _Duty__ is__ not__ necessary,_ he answers and drifts off as the Sky wonders why can't anyone straight-out answer him.

The Sky ambles away and takes a step back when something flashes before him.

_I am the Lightning, and I will rule the world! Do you have some candy?_

The Sky is surprised by how young the Lightning is. He makes a mental note to talk to his tutor about appointing them too young.

_Hello,_ he says gently. _I__ am __the__ Sky. __I__ am__ sorry,__ but__ I__ don__'__t__ have__ any__ candy__ with__ m e __at __the __moment._

The Lightning stares at him for a moment with wide green eyes before bursting into tears and the Sky rushes to calm him before he destroys something.

_It__'__s__ alright,_ he soothes. _What__ do __you __do? __You __are, __after __all, __so __important._

The Lightning straightens up and looks on with pride. _My__ duty __is __to - __well, __something __like__ taking__ the__ damage,__ but__ that__'__s__ stupid._

The Sky is secretly ashamed of the fact that someone so young could know the meaning of duty but he, himself didn't know.

_No,_ he chides, _it__ is __very __brave._

The Lightning shrugs and zooms off, yelling at something in the distance for candy.

The Sky sighs and takes a step before finding himself shrouded in Mist.

_Kufufu~_ Someone laughs around him, but it was impossible to tell where. _Little__ Sky, __little__ Sky.__Why __would__ you __ever__ be__ in __a __place__ as__ dangerous__ as__ this?_

_Are__ you __the__ Mist?_ the Sky asks curiously. _You__ are,__ aren__'__t__ you?_

The same laughs echoes around him. _Yes, __I__ am.__ What__ do__ you__ want?_

The Sky perks up – it is his last chance to ask about what this 'duty' may mean.

_What is 'duty'?_

The Mist seems to ponder this. _I__ confuse__ the __enemies,_ he answers eventually. _Like __this._

When he speaks again, his voice is not of a man's, but a woman's – timid and shy as well, unlike his other voice.

_It __is __nice __to __meet__ you,_ the other Mist murmurs. The Sky smiles.

_It__ is __nice __to __meet__ you, __too,_ he says. _But,__ why __are__ there __two__ of__ you?_

He can tell the Mist – both of them – are smiling. _To __perform __our__ duty,_ the female voice answers.

_It is so much easier to confuse others when there are two of us,_ the male voice answers.

_Will __you__ tell__ me__ what __duty__ is?_ he asks almost desperately.

_Duties __are__ different,__ for __each__ and__ every__ person,_ the male Mist says. _It__ may __be__ similar,__ but__ never __exactly__ the__ same._

The female Mist giggles and the Sky doesn't understand why – but girls and by extension, women, will always be strange and as unfathomable as his tutor's powers.

_Duty is like an… obligation,_ she says hesitantly. _It might not be something you want to do, but you do it anyways. But, for us – _there is a movement in the mist and the Sky understand that she is gesturing towards his wide kingdom – _it is something we hate yet love. Protecting, we love, but it hurts to kill by protecting.__  
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_What __obligation __is__ there__ to__ kill?_ The Sky is confused and sad.

Dark amusement pulses in the Mist. _From__ you._

The Sky's eyes widen. _How__ did__ I__ oblige__ people __to __kill?_

The Mist shudders as a sigh rings around them. _Ask__ your__ tutor,_ the male Mist says and the Mist suddenly disappeared, leaving a befuddled Sky.

The Sky continues roaming his kingdom, but he doesn't find another person in his path. A weight pushes on his head and he looks up in annoyance.

_Reborn,_ he says (he is the one of the lucky few to know one of his tutor's name, even if this one was probably fake as well), _why__ were__ the__ people__ I__ met__ obliged_– he makes a face at the strange word – _to __kill?_

_Dame-Tsuna,_ Reborn sighs (Reborn is one of the few to know _his_ name), _they __are__ your __Guardians, __your__ Family.__ They __protect__ – __by__ any__ means. __It __is __their__ duty._

_I __learned__ what__ '__duty__' __means,_ Tsuna replies dully. _But__ then,__ what __is __my __duty?_

Reborn sighs and the pressure on his head is lifted. _You__'__ll__ have __to __find__ out__ yourself,__ Tsuna._

So, the Sky thinks back to his encounters, wondering, _What__ is __my __duty __to__ them,__ when__ they__ so__ unselfishly __do__ what__ they__ can__ for __useless __little__ him?_

He has heard that many people dislike individuals in his… Family. The Sun was too bright (and EXTREME), the Storm was too violent, the Rain was washing away too much, the Cloud was both scary and violent, the Lightning was just a kid, and the Mists were… annoying. _But__ really,_ he murmurs aloud, _they __aren__'__t__ that __bad._

Tsuna suddenly understands – he accepts them for who they are, and that is all they need from him.

_Next __time,_ he thinks with conviction, _I__ will __find__ out__ their __names._

Somewhere off in his (much) larger kingdom, Reborn smirks.

_Of course you will, Tsuna._

* * *

><p>This was written on a whim. Also, is anyone else having problems with Doc Manager? It stuck all the italicized words together, which was a PAIN considering how many italicized words I had in this fic... I apologize for any mistakes made, please point them out so I may fix them.<p> 


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